Let’s go around the UAE: What to do during Eid Al Adha holidays

UAE may be small but it has lots of place to visit; Try some out

The long Eid Al Adha holiday break is here and many people will be staying back in the UAE for various reasons to celebrate the long holiday weekend.

Apart from visiting family and friends, Emirates 24|7 brings you some places that you could hop into your car and go and see.

Hatta

One of the most beautiful places in the United Arab Emirates can be found inland at Hatta. History tells us that Hatta city evolved from an ancient village that was nestled in the foothills of the Hajar Mountain range that fall within the emirate of Dubai.

You can visit Hatta from the city of Dubai, which is some 150 kilometres away. The excellent motorable route passes through majestic sand dunes and arid rocky mountains with wadis on either side.

Bits and pieces of Omani territory will have to be crossed on the way from Dubai so it is advisable to carry your identity papers such as passports or National ID cards.

When in Hatta, you will see a charming settlement, now having modern shopping. However, it does retain its charm some old villages and farms in the mountains.

One of the most popular sights is the dam that is built on one of the wadis. You have to climb or drive up a steep hill, but the effort is rewarded with a beautiful sight of a green lake, which has hosted the shooting of several film scenes.

Driving on there are the famous Hatta Pools, fed by underground springs. Even during the harshest parts of the summer, these offer a relaxing spot to cool you down.

Hatta also hosts an old fort with two majestic lookout towers built atop adjacent mountains.

You can either drive down for a day tour of Hatta, or camp there. For more comfort-minded persons, Hatta Fort Hotel offers 5-star luxury just outside the city.

Al Ain

Al Ain is the UAE’s garden city. It is located next to the Omani city of Buraimi. All it takes just one hour and half by road from Dubai to Al Ain.

The ancient oasis town hosts popular traditional camel racing. It also has a bustling camel souk.

A visit to Al Ain would be incomplete without a visit to Jebel Hafeet.

The winding route up the mountain is scenic and at times steep, but it is worth it to get up there. It is a beautiful place, being the tallest mountain in Al Ain and second tallest mountain in UAE after Jebel Jais.

Jebel Hafeet rises 1,249 meters, and offers a wonderful view of over of the city of Al Ain and Buraimi and the surrounding area. it’s a well-known landmark with a natural caves carved by strong winds.

At the foothills is another major tourist attraction – a vast green sweep of land that amazes the visitor with its lushness. Mubazarrah hosts hot-water springs that is channeled across the area in streams that end up in a beautiful lake, with swimming pools, and Jacuzzis along the way. Boating enthusiasts can safely indulge themselves in the lake which also has a Lake Geneva style fountain.

Al Ain forts are the places to visit for history buffs. They were built to protect the oasis from the raiders. The Sheikh Zayed the First Fort is one of the biggest and most imposing. It is used nowadays to house a museum and is also used as a musical, cultural and entertainment venue.

Al Ain also hosts the Hili Fun City for families with its variety of rides and mini zoo and aviary.

The city has one of the best zoos in the region. The vast Al Ain Zoo hosts the animals as close tio their natural environment as possible.

The city also has an archaeological museum.

The city has beautiful five-star hotels and malls for shopaholics.

Fujairah

Fujairah is the only one of the seven emirates in the UAE that lies on the eastern shores of the UAE facing the Arabian Sea beyond the Gulf of Oman. The other six emirates are located along the Arabian Gulf side.

Apart from its own natural beauty that has the elements of sea, the beach, old town charm and mountains, all rolled into one, Fujairah also has attractive places such as wadis and Masafi and Dibba etc.

Masafi is a town in Fujairah located along the Hajar Mountains. In Arabic it means “opera water”. In the past Masafi was a trading post and refueling station, but it has grown to be recognized along the country, also because of its natural springs that give rise to a famous brand of mineral water in the UAE.

The village is divided in to two parts; the larger section belongs to Fujairah and the smaller belong to emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.

Masafi is famous for its Friday Market for shopping. Despite its name, the market is open all seven days of week. It is located along the Dubai-Fujairah road, as you approach Masafi. It is amust-stop place for tourists who can pick up earthenware, rugs, souvenirs, antiques and even garden plants and fruits and vegetables along the way.

Fujairah has many wadis, whose dry riverbed fills with gushing streams following the rains.

Tourists can enjoy the sport of wadi bashing at Wadi Saham, Wadi Siji and Wadi Al Wurayah, which also hosts a 24-7 365 days a year waterfall and a cool green pool with its own little fishes. Wadi Ham is the largest and longest in Masafi area.

Wadi Siji can take you to Al Zaid and Umm Al Quwain. You can enter in from Dhaid.

Another place in Fujairah is Dibba, a small but very beautiful coastal port town with distinguished Omani and UAE architectural styles.

Fujairah hosts some fine hotels where tourists and relax after a long drive.

Sharjah

Sharjah is a one of the seven emirates in UAE. Though the city is sandwiched between Dubai and Ajman, forming a large metrolpolitan area, the emirate itself is the second largest in the UAE with outlying attractive towns such as Al Kalba and Khor Fakkan on the East Coast.

Kalba is a small village famous for fishing, mangroves and natural beauty. It is a must-see place in the UAE and is located at one of the boundary points with Oman. It has many attractive places such as the house of Sheikh Saeed bin Hamad Al Qassimi, and Al Hisn museum. It also has an ancient fort that is now a museum displaying culture and items of historical evidence.

Khor Fakkan is located on the East Coast next to Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman side. It has a bustling port and beautiful beaches.

A must-see in Khor Fakkan is the Rifaisa dam in the mountains.

The city of Khor Fakkan has excellent accommodation.

Ras Al Khaimah

If you are planning to visit UAE, then do not forget to go to one of seven emirates which is Ras Al Khaimah, previously one of the mightiest cities of the region.

The city is being transformed into modern city, but without losing its natural beauty.

While in ras Al Khaimah, a visit to Ain Khat is a must. It hosts natural hot or geysers springs in lovely surroundings, where many people go for receive treatment. One of the best wadis in the UAE is the Al Ghail wadi.

Ras Al Khaimah’s Awafi Desert can be visited in winter, the ideal time to enjoy the desert. It is best experienced through camping. Visitors can get a feel of the huge sand dunes.